Popular children’s magazine ‘Sishulekha’ would now soon see the light of the day with a new look after a gap of seven years.

The magazine’s literature would not only be limited within books but also be expanded as e-magazine, for which Odisha’s children residing in other States as well as overseas can have access to it for development for their core interest in Odia literature, informed Odia Language Literature & Culture Director Ranjan Kumar Das.

By initiative of the State School & Mass Education Department, ‘Sishulekha’ had started in 1971 as a monthly magazine.

Even as it had received a big thumb-up from the readers, the magazine has gone out of print since 1992-93.

The Government resumed publication of the magazine in 2010 following demand by eminent litterateurs. After over 17 years, ‘Sishulekha’ was revived with the promise of enriching and entertaining children in Odia language.

The new version of the magazine was unveiled by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on July 8, 2010. The magazine was republished quarterly instead of the monthly editions of the past. Out of 48,000 colour prints, while 10,000 copies were released to the market for selling, the remaining copies were being distributed among the schools.

However, three years after its revival, the printing of magazine was again closed in 2013. Strongly reacting to it, eminent litterateurs, including Biswarup Kanungo, Ashok Mahapatra and Zakir Khan, had written to the Chief Minister for the magazine’s republication.